Volframi Oy develops new processing methods and tools for the glass industry. Their vision is to offer new opportunities for forerunners, something new that has been used successfully in other industries.
Currently, they are developing a tool for targeted coating that enables the production of completely new products and applications. Targeted coating means that only the area to be processed is treated in the machine. This significantly reduces the size and price of the tool. For users, this means that the size or shape of the glass is no longer a limitation. The waste generation, material loss and electricity consumption are also substantially lower than with current methods.
Interview with Jukka Vuoristo, CTO | inventor of targeted processing at Volframi Oy.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Jukka Vuoristo: We design and manufacture targeted coating tools for our customers. Our main market areas are in the construction and automotive glass industry. Competition in the market has led to a situation, where glass processors have to offer something new and different to stand out from competitors and bulk window processors. Smart, recycled and more sustainable production loss management is one of the key drivers in the construction glass market.
In the near future, we will see, for example, autonomous cars that will require special small area coatings on the windows. Current methods for producing these coatings generate a lot of waste. Our processing is more sustainable and affordable than current ones, because we only process the desired area of the glass.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
J.V: Innovations are crucial for glass industries that are investing resources in R&D to develop new ways to use glass and make new products. For glass processors, we offer capability to make, e.g., touch controller interfaces on standard windowpanes. These controllers can be used to control anything, as is currently done with ordinary switches. For example, you can control smart glass sets directly on glass panes, or control venetian blinds and awnings. If targeted area coating is needed, our equipment is the right solution.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
J.V: Currently, we offer customized coating tools for targeted processing. We are capable to introduce most of the semiconductor processes for targeted processing.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
J.V: We operate in the glass sector by designing and manufacturing coating tools for use by glass processing companies. As we offer something completely new and groundbreaking, we are looking for forerunners who want to add new technology and products to their portfolio. Finished products made with our tool can be seen on the market in glass solutions for the construction and automotive industries, probably next year.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
J.V: We have identified the market need. Smart glass solutions will also become common in the construction glass field. Our coatings can be used to improve the properties of glass, e.g., by adding sensors and thus additional/augmented automation. Continual technological advancements in the automotive glass sector and the integration of advanced technologies with glass are strong market drivers. We see the need for targeted coatings as a rising trend in the near future.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
J.V: Our most innovative product is our targeted coating tool TCT200. With this device, you can create a maximum diameter of 200mm coatings on glasses of all sizes.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?
J.V: We are launching the first targeted coating production tool later this year. We expect the market to respond well when the first final products are available to users.
